This invention relates generally to an intake system for a vehicle. More particularly, this invention is directed toward an air intake system including a decentralized exhaust gas recirculating system.
An intake manifold provides airflow for combination with fuel for combustion within a combustion chamber. The intake manifold is typically mounted to a cylinder head of the engine. A fuel rail provides fuel to the various fuel injectors located at each combustion chamber. An exhaust gas recirculating (EGR) system is provided to utilize and reclaim elements exhausted from a combustion chamber to improve engine efficiencies and overall fuel combustion.
Typically, an EGR valve is mounted to control the flow of exhaust gases through a single opening and into the intake manifold. The exhaust gases then mix with incoming air and fuel and are drawn into the combustion chamber. It is desirable that the exhaust gases injected into the intake manifold are uniformly distributed among the several runners of the intake manifold and ultimately between each of the combustor chambers.
Disadvantageously, injection of exhaust gases are not controlled and are generally not uniformly distributed among the several combustion chambers. Accordingly, each combustion chamber likely receives differing levels of exhaust gases causing non-uniform combustion across the several cylinders.
Further, different covers, and devices for various different system are mounted to the engine, for example, the intake manifold, air cleaner, valve covers, heat shields, wire harness and fuel rails. Each item requires a mounting point or bracket either to the engine or within the engine compartment. Disadvantageously, much time is spent on determining how and where to mount items of each system. Further, in many instances different groups or suppliers are responsible for different systems, requiring coordination of mounting points and brackets as they are related to every other component in the engine compartment.
Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop an intake assembly that provides improved exhaust gas distribution and that minimizes mounting requirements within an engine compartment.